The LEGO Movie Is Giving This Character A Spin-Off

The LEGO Movie was a smash hit. For a while, it was the highest-grossing movie of 2014, and it has inspired a sequel, which we thought we were going to see in theaters on May 26, 2017. (More on that in a second.) But why stop there? The original now is going to inspire a spinoff film, with one of the most popular characters from that movie.

THR reports that Will Arnett will voice a LEGO Batman in a solo Batman movie directed by Chris McKay. Not only is it coming, the movie is getting fast-tracked, likely taking the slot of The LEGO Movie 2, which we now hear is going to be pushed back. Seth Grahame-Smith actually is going to pen the screenplay for this Batman movie, and Warner wants it in theaters in 2017.

Chris Miller, co-director of the original The LEGO Movie, confirmed the movie on Twitter with this hysterical LEGO reference to Ben Affleck’s Batman.

Will Arnett’s Batman was a scene-stealer in The LEGO Movie, self-absorbed and unaware of his status as a toy. His ego was larger than a 2,000-piece bin of LEGO blocks, and it led to some hysterical scenes.

But can it sustain a full movie? Sometimes a humorous supporting characters works best as that – a supporting player. That being said, this is The Batman, and there should be MORE than enough material to sustain a full LEGO Batman movie. Will it be an action-adventure? A Meta comedy like The LEGO Movie? Will there be space for some of Batman’s legendary villains, the ones who pop up in classic Batman movies and the LEGO Batman video games that have become so popular?

THR reports that the next LEGO movie still will be the Ninjago movie, which is scheduled to open in theaters on September 23, 2016. After that, Batman, followed by The Lego Movie 2 sometime after 2017.